Turnbull turns into the Australian Trump on immigration

Date of publication: 18 04 2017, 13:00

Canberra, Australia. The Australian outback seems a strange place for anything Donald Trump, but a new announcement from Malcolm Turnbull has Australians now wondering if Turnbull has been reading “the art of the deal” by one Donald John Trump.

Australia’s Prime Minister Turnbull said, “Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs” as he announced that a temporary work visa popular with foreigners is to be abolished.

In his “major announcement” on Facebook, Malcolm Turnbull has stated: “We’re putting jobs first; we’re putting Australians first.” This policy is a departure from his previous globalist agenda. Turnbull is now doing a policy flip-flop on a truly Trump-esque level.

The visa affected, the 457, was intended to attract more skilled workers to Australia and allows its holders to bring family members with them on a 457 secondary visa.

The Australian immigration ministry replacement will include a criminal background check, English language standards will be stricter, and the list of occupations that qualify will be sharply reduced.

Turnbull bristled at the suggestion that the policy revamp had been made in response to a demand for stricter immigration policies from far-right parties, Mr Turnbull, who has been facing poor approval ratings, said: “We are an immigration nation, but the fact remains – Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs.”

Turnbull said the new policy was “focused relentlessly on the national interest and in ensuring that temporary migration visas are not a passport for foreigners to take up jobs that could and should be filled by Australians.” Meanwhile Australian voters come to terms with a President suddenly acting more like Trump, than Turnbull.